My Greatest Fear
by Guardian of the Water
Summary: "Natsu woke up in a start, with his body glistening with sweat. 'It was only a nightmare…' Natsu thought covering his face with his hands." Natsu was traumatized by the death of Future Lucy and consistently plagued by nightmares of their Lucy's death. And conflicts with unusual emotions while being around Lucy begin to emerge. And his fears increase when Lucy is kidnapped.
1. Chapter 1:My Dreams of Dread and Fear

**Chapter 1: My Dreams of Dread and Fear**

* * *

><p><em>Eternal darkness…that was all that he could see. Natsu has been walking for about an hour...or more? He didn't really know, but all that he knows is that he's been walking for hours, probably in circles as well. But, who knows? It was hard to tell time and direction in pitch-black darkness. Then all of the sudden a piercing scream echoed through the darkness…it sounded like a girl's scream…it sounded like <em>_**Lucy's**__.__Natsu immediately sprinted towards his partner's screams of pain, calling out her name in the process._

"_Lucy!" Natsu called out desperately, while running and looking for signs of a blonde haired mage._

"_Lucy!"_

"_Lucy, answer me dammit!" Natsu cursed in the lack of response._

_Another shriek of pain resounded in the darkness, only causing Natsu to pick up his pace. The stench of something foul and metallic reached his nostrils, worry began to pool in his stomach and fear gripped his heart and tightened its hold on it. Natsu could only hope that it wasn't Lucy he smelt._

_Natsu tripped over something that was on the ground. He also felt something wet and sticky on his hands; he turned to look at his hands. Red. Red, blood stained hands. And it smelt exactly like Lucy. Natsu started to tremble slightly; he stood up and turned around to look at the fallen figure. Golden blonde hair that was slightly darkened by the dirt, slightly revealing clothes covered in blood, golden keys attached to her belt stained with red blood, curvy figure, large chest, a sword piercing her chest directly at her heart and lastly a pink Fairy Tail guild mark on her right hand._

_Collapsing onto his knees, he wept silently, letting loose a few tears he began to mourn over of his precious nakama, his partner, his teammate and most important person in the guild._

'_I was late…' Natsu thought wretchedly_

'_I was late to save her again'_

_Then all of the sudden the darkness began to engulf the bloody corpse, causing Natsu to break out of his mourning and tried to reach out and save her. But he was already too late the darkness already engulfed her._

"_LUCY!"_

Natsu woke up in a start, with his body glistening with sweat and his breathing uneven. Looking at his surroundings he sighed heavily, he was at his house and it was in the middle of the night.

'It was only a nightmare…' Natsu thought covering his face with his hands. He's been receiving these nightmares of Lucy dying ever since Future Lucy died and all of them ending in the same way. Of course he isn't the only one being plagued with the horrible dreams, Happy has also being plagued with nightmares of Lucy dying. The poor exceed was traumatized by her future self's death. But, it wasn't _their _Lucy but it was still Lucy, no matter when she was from she was still Lucy.

Natsu vowed to protect the future and he succeeded, he protected his and Lucy's future. And yet, he was still plagued by these horrible dreams but he should be happy! Their Lucy was still alive and breathing and he couldn't help but wonder if their Lucy died.

'No' Natsu thought shaking his head, 'I stopped that future…Lucy's alive' But he was still uncertain that he would fail to protect her, what if she dies when he wasn't there to protect her?

"Natsu…?"

Natsu was brought out of his pondering by a timid voice, which could only be the blue neko. Happy was shivering either from the coldness or the dream he had, he looked so vulnerable like a homeless kitten.

"Hmm?" Natsu replied.

"I had a nightmare again…" Happy said wailing and buried himself in Natsu's chest. Natsu brought a comforting pat to the neko's furry head and he sobbed into his chest.

"Natsu," Happy sniffed. "I want to go to Lucy's"

Natsu smiled "Okay, let's go to Lucy's" and besides he too needed comfort from his partner's presence. And hopefully that Lucy hadn't noticed their clingy-ness to her and the consistent need to 'break' into her house and sleep on her comfy bed that was drenched in her scent…hopefully.


	2. Chapter 2:Finding Comfort in Warmth

**Chapter 2: Finding Comfort in Warmth**

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><p>Lucy sighed audibly in her bed. It was another sleepless night for Lucy ever since her Future self's death it was getting harder to sleep since she dreams of herself and her fellow guild members dying, just like how her Future self's guild mates were killed and her getting killed when she travelled back to the past to save everyone. Seeing herself die in front of her own eyes can't help but make her think that she would die soon, but seeing herself die made her more cautious about herself and more careful.<p>

But…

It must have been hard for her future self to live with out her nakama by her side. Especially… especially without Natsu.

Lucy smiled fondly as she thought about her best friend, her partner and about where she would be in life if she hadn't met the pink haired dragon resident of Fairy Tail. Her father would have probably sold her off to some snobby, old, rich guy because he wanted to save the company.

But, she couldn't help but think that she was weak. She wasn't strong like her other guildmates, she wasn't strong like Natsu of Erza or Gray. Hell she even thought that Happy was stronger than her! Her magic wasn't powerful or beautiful she just summoned spirits to fight for her and she will fight along side them. Natsu was always saving her, Lucy couldn't help but think that it would be sooner than later that Natsu would kick her off the team because she was so weak.

Lucy shook those thoughts out of her head, she couldn't think negative now. She needed to be positive. And besides it was all thanks to Natsu that see was where she is right now. Lucy turned over gazing at the wall opposite her and slipped a hand underneath her pillow. Although, there was something weird about Natsu and Happy, they have gotten rather 'clingy'.

* * *

><p><em>Lucy balanced herself on the edge of the canal, with both of her arms outstretched either side of her. Humming a soft to tune to herself she continued to look at her footsteps.<em>

"_Be careful, Lucy-san!" one of the boatmen called out._

_Waving the piece of advice off without removing her sight from her footsteps, she said. "I'll be fine!"_

_The blonde opened the guild doors open and stepped inside. She made her way towards the bar with Mira polishing a beer glass. But before she could even get close to the bar, a certain pink haired dragon slayer instantly tackled her down._

"_LUCEEEE~~!" Natsu yelled hugging her waist with his head resting on her large assets._

_Lucy face reddened when she saw pink locks sticking out of her chest. "O-oi! Don't be a pervert!" Ignoring her protests, Natsu nuzzled even further into her chest. "GET OFF ME!"_

"_Lucyyy~~~! I missed you~~!" Natsu whined childishly. Lucy blushed heavily at the close proximity between the two mages and tried to pry the dragon slayer's iron grip on her but relentlessly failing. Out of the corner of her eye she could barely see Mirajane and Levy sending her knowing looks. In response she sent them the look of annoyance._

"_But you saw me yesterday!" Lucy screamed trying yet again to remove the iron grin on her. Natsu tightened his grip on her not wanting to let her go._

"_That was yesterday~~~"_

_Lucy sighed and grumbled. "I give up…"_

* * *

><p>And there was that other time…<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Goodbye everyone!" Lucy waved goodbye at her fellow guildmates and made her way towards the doors. But before she could even get a foot outside the door a blue figure whizzed past her and stopped in front of her. It was Happy.<em>

_Not long after the blue exceed's appearance, a warm arm draped over her shoulders._

_Natsu grinned at her. "Hey! Where ya going Luce?"_

_Lucy blinked. "I'm going to the Grocery Store…?"_

"_Well then let us come with you!"_

"_Aye!" Happy agreed._

"_WHAT?! NO!" Lucy shouted denying their request._

"_Awwww, why not Lushiiii~?" Happy pouted with Natsu doing the same._

"_Because you'll just end up with me spending more jewels than my rent!"_

"_We promise not to!" Natsu said swearing on his oath._

"_Aye!"_

_Lucy pretended to mull over their answer with grins and smiles steadily growing on their faces._

"_No."_

"_But Lushiii-"_

"_No."_

_Natsu and Happy pouted and gave the stellar mage the cutest, (if not) the irresistible puppy eyes in the whole of Earthland. Lucy tried to waver her sight from the two pouting teammates of her's. But, no matter what she does, the two boys always managed to get her to look at them._

_And when Lucy had finally had enough, she let out an aggravated cry." Argh, fine!"_

"_Hooray!" Happy and Natsu cheered, then dragged the stellar mage to the nearest grocery store, despite her screams and protests._

* * *

><p>But even if they have gotten too clingy, she wouldn't change it for anything in the world. And besides she liked to have someone to cuddle with when she was cold. Not that she would admit it out loud. But she actually liked Natsu and Happy barging in to her apartment at random times, it helped her to sleep at night when she has trouble sleeping at night.<p>

However, it seems that she would have a sleepless night tonight because Natsu wasn't here to comfort her. Then Lucy drifted off to into dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3:I don't want to lose my Mother

**Chapter 3: I don't want to lose my Mother**

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><p>Natsu and Happy stalked through the dark streets of Magnolia, making their way towards their favorite celestial mage's apartment. The bright, white moonlight shone throughout the town, shooing away the shadows that covered the streets.<p>

The duo walked in silence, enjoying each other's company and the comfortable silence that settled between the two. "Hey Happy,"

"Hmm?" Happy asked, "What is it?"

"What do you think of Lucy?"

"Well," Happy began, "I think she's a weirdo…" Natsu sighed heavily, not satisfied with the neko's answer.

"No, I meant as a person."

"Yeah, I think she's a weirdo," Happy said, not getting what the dragon slayer was getting at. "But," Natsu perked up at the sound of the blue exceed saying 'but'. "She's a kind, caring, pretty person, who always takes care of us, who was always there for us, who gives us courage when we need it, who lets us sleep in her bed and lets us stay in her apartment, who always had fish and food for you and me."

Natsu nodded in a daze to Happy's answer. "Then how would you feel if she was gone?" Happy stopped and looked at the dragon slayer, as they turned into 'Strawberry Street', causing Natsu to look at the neko.

"What type of question is that?!" Happy screamed in Natsu's face. "I'd be devastated of course, wouldn't you be too, huh Natsu?"

"Yeah, but-" Natsu began, as Happy interrupted him. "She's our precious nakama, our best friend! Our irreplaceable partner! Besides, losing her is like…is like losing a mother, my 'foster' mother. I don't want to lose my mom…" Happy stated, starting to tear up as soon as he began to say his statement, causing Natsu to panic and comfort h is 'foster' son by patting his head and hugged the exceed to his chest, until his tears and sniffs subside.

Natsu felt slightly dazed at Happy's response. 'So he looks at Luce as his mother…' Natsu thought. 'Then that would mean…!'

"If you look at Lucy as your mother, that would make me-my father" Happy interrupted Natsu in mid-sentence, wiping his tears for his eyes. "But what about-Lisanna?" Happy interrupted Natsu once again. Technically, shouldn't she be Happy's mother? She was there when we found Happy as an egg and was there when they raised him.

"Well," Happy said, "She felt more like a big sister than a mother, Lucy was more like a mother to me, since she was the one who always takes care of me and you." Well yeah, it was _**always **_Lucy who took care of him and the neko, the female practically had medical supplies that could rival the guild's infirmary, just in case one of them got hurt during a mission.

Lucy doesn't even yell at him when he and Happy brake into her apartment anymore, because of his and Happy's consistent presence at her apartment. They were like a small happy family, Happy was the child, he was the husband and Lucy was…and Lucy was his wife.

Natsu blushed at the thought of Lucy being a loving, loyal wife. He could just imagine it.

* * *

><p>"<em>I'm home!"<em>

"_Welcome home!" Lucy called out from the kitchen. Two small children, one girl with his pink locks and his mother's chocolate doe eyes and one boy with his mother's blonde hair and his onyx eyes, running into his arms screaming 'Daddy!'_

"_Hey!" Natsu said, chuckling as he ruffled their hair. "Go along now, you could tell me what you did today during dinner."_

"_Okay, daddy!" The duo chorused as they skipped away towards the living room. Making his way to the kitchen, he found his wife loving, loyal wife of 5 years and counting, cooking dinner. Grinning cheekily he walked towards her and encircled his arms round her waist, catching the blonde by surprise, and kissed her on the cheek._

"_How was your day?"_

* * *

><p>'NO! I did not just think that!' Natsu screamed in his head snapping out of his daydream. 'You're not supposed to think about your nakama that way!' Natsu mentally scolded himself.<p>

"Natsu we're here!" Happy called out, announcing that they have arrived at the blonde's apartment. Not noticing that the dragon slayer was not paying attention to the neko.

'What's this weird feeling in my chest? It doesn't hurt, but it feels warm, like fire. It only happens when I think of Lucy or when I'm near Lucy. I hope Lucy's weirdness wasn't contagious' Natsu reassured himself.

And what Natsu didn't know was that denial was a river in Egypt, and he was swimming in it.


End file.
